Immigration

According to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Data, the median wealth of white households was 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households in 2009. This inequality in wealth is the largest since the government began publishing this data a quarter century ago.

The size of the wealth ratios doubled since the Great Recession. The bursting of the housing market bubble in 2006 resulted in a 16% decline in net worth for whites, a 66% decline for Hispanics, and a 53% decline for blacks. As a consequence, the typical black household had just $5,677 in wealth (assets minus debts) in 2009; the typical Hispanic household had $6,325; and the typical white household had $113,149.

A larger percent of Hispanics live in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona which were among the states that had the largest declines in housing values. You can read the 36 page report here or download it at the bottom of the first page.

Last Updated on Saturday, 13 August 2011 09:10

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MN's Leading Election System

With Secretary of State Steve Simon

Listen to Secretary of State Steve Simon's excellent presentation on MN's outstanding election system emulated by many other states at the Think Again Brooklyns forum January 19, 2016. Secretary Simon includes ways in which it can be improved, and he explains why it is important to vote. He concludes with a quote from a tee shirt: "Failure to vote is not an act of rebellion. It is an act of surrender."

In January, Oregon became the first state in the country to begin automatically registering eligible citizens to vote when they obtain or renew their driver's licenses or state IDs, completely shifting the burden of voter registration from the individual to the government.